What to do for thread number 20000

September 13, 2002 8:23 AM

Sometime today, or quite possibly early tomorrow, MetaFilter will hit thread number 20,000. Personally, I think everyone should shut up once we hit 19,999 and let Matt do whatever he feels like with number 20k. Anyone agree? Other thoughts?
posted by Ufez Jones to MetaFilter-Related at 8:23 AM (89 comments total)

Great idea. I wonder if it'll happen.
posted by timeistight at 8:25 AM on September 13, 2002

I bring it up mainly b/c I fear the fact that a lot of people will compose posts, wait for number 19,999 to happen, and then all try to post at once with a "Look! I got 20,000. Nyah nyah nyah!" attitude. I'd like to see a nice tribute started by Matt in the way that he wants to, should he choose to. I say it's his choice first though.
posted by Ufez Jones at 8:26 AM on September 13, 2002

Tonight I'm gonna party like it's 19,999!



Sorry.
posted by frykitty at 8:32 AM on September 13, 2002

If it was up to me, 19,999 would be the last thread ever.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 8:32 AM on September 13, 2002

If it was up to me, 19,999 would be the last thread ever.

Erm, it is up to you.
posted by frykitty at 8:33 AM on September 13, 2002

thanks for the suggestion ufez. I'm preparing my best nah-nah face. There is nothing sigficant about this number. wiether in real life or metafilter. Triubute? to what, a number? I love the sight but i dont agree ufez jones.

have no fear sir, metafilter will
be
just


fine





posted by clavdivs at 8:34 AM on September 13, 2002

matt could just post a thread at his own leisure, and then manipulate the IDs so that his post is 20k and the others are 20k+1 or whatever.
posted by moz at 8:35 AM on September 13, 2002

everyone should shut up once we hit 19,999

Me, I blame Ufez for tempting Matt.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 8:36 AM on September 13, 2002

*ducks*

You'll never catch meeeeeeeee.........
posted by Ufez Jones at 8:37 AM on September 13, 2002

Zip code for the WTC = 10048.
posted by xowie at 8:37 AM on September 13, 2002

do you think that the majority here even pay attention to thread numbers?


posted by konolia at 8:46 AM on September 13, 2002

Matt, if this thing has become such a millstone around your neck why do you keep doing it?
posted by timeistight at 9:01 AM on September 13, 2002

Do. Not. Ask. Ever!
posted by MiguelCardoso at 9:04 AM on September 13, 2002

xowie, that is just freakish.
Same subject came up a few days ago.
Someone fetch Matt a pony.
posted by whatnot at 9:06 AM on September 13, 2002

If it was up to me, 19,999 would be the last thread ever.

[this is a joke]
posted by mathowie (staff) at 9:15 AM on September 13, 2002

Phew!

*endless expulsion of air from harried lungs*
posted by MiguelCardoso at 9:16 AM on September 13, 2002

*wipes cold sweat from brow*
posted by Dean King at 9:16 AM on September 13, 2002

If it was up to me, 19,999 would be the last thread ever.

[this is a joke]

"One thing kids like is to be tricked. For instance, I was going to take my little nephew to Disneyland, but instead I drove him to an old burned-out warehouse. "Oh, no," I said. "Disneyland burned down." He cried and cried, but I think that deep down, he thought it was a pretty good joke. I started to drive over to the real Disneyland, but it was getting pretty late." -- Jack Handy
posted by Shadowkeeper at 9:20 AM on September 13, 2002

... if this thing has become such a millstone around your neck why do you keep doing it?

Characteristics of Codependency
posted by rcade at 9:21 AM on September 13, 2002

Maybe Matt could post that Harry Potter vibrating broomstick link from amazon. It's a riot.
posted by toothless joe at 9:32 AM on September 13, 2002

If it was up to me, 19,999 would be the last thread ever.

[this is a joke]

*calls pharmacy, cancels methadone order*
posted by jonmc at 9:32 AM on September 13, 2002

rcade, that kind of sums up my feelings, too. Every so often Matt muses about being sick of all the work this takes and feeling like chucking it. Everyone then crowds around telling him how they couldn't get along without MetaFilter. The whole thing has a dysfunctional family vibe that makes me feel queasy.

I like wasting my time here as much as anyone, but couldn't enjoy it if I thought Matt was only doing it because he couldn't bear disappointing 16,000 people goofing off at work.

Nothing last forever folks.
posted by timeistight at 9:39 AM on September 13, 2002

He has to do it. It's part of his CIA assignment. Crap. Did I type that? I meant to just think it.
posted by Fabulon7 at 9:46 AM on September 13, 2002

What's in a number?
A one is a one is a one

And stuff like that.
posted by ginz at 12:00 PM on September 13, 2002

Do it Matt! Do it...shut it down!
posted by dangerman at 12:10 PM on September 13, 2002

Would you ever sell Matt? If the price were right?
posted by internook at 12:22 PM on September 13, 2002

Here ya go internook...

In regards to the buy it outright thing, I'd sell my grandmother if it meant I could retire for life at the age of 29.
posted by Ufez Jones at 12:23 PM on September 13, 2002

Crap. Did I type that? I meant to just think it.

As part of the CIA, Matt would still know if you thought it. ;)
posted by SpecialK at 12:28 PM on September 13, 2002

The whole thing has a dysfunctional family vibe that makes me feel queasy.

Every popular Web site that doesn't make a lot of money has that vibe. If it ever becomes a millstone around his neck, I think we could ferret that information out of him through our most potent weapon -- nettlesome pestering.
posted by rcade at 12:31 PM on September 13, 2002

"If it was up to me, 19,999 would be the last thread ever.

[this is a joke]"

I bet when you typed that there was at least a tiny part of your brain screaming as loudly as it could "NO! It's NOT a joke! I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT!".

I self-medicate that portion of my brain with alcohol. What's your favorite coping mechanism?
posted by mr_crash_davis at 12:42 PM on September 13, 2002

I read MetaFilter at work.

And thus the circle is complete.
posted by yhbc at 12:45 PM on September 13, 2002

At risk of further chafting an already well-chafed MetaCliche...

New Tagline:

MetaFilter: The whole thing has a dysfunctional family vibe that makes me feel queasy.
posted by evanizer at 12:48 PM on September 13, 2002

What's in a number?
A one is a one is a one

Yes, but...

Need a hanky, Matt? :)
posted by jonmc at 12:53 PM on September 13, 2002

MetaFilter: The whole thing has a dysfunctional family vibe that makes me feel queasy.

Please tell me that someone, somewhere has been compiling all the proposed Metafilter taglines.
posted by vacapinta at 12:58 PM on September 13, 2002

vacapinta, I could certainly search for the phrase "tagline" in all MetaTalk and MetaFilter comments and get most of them.

So I decided that once 20k hits, I'm gonna pour a 40 on the curb... for all the delted threads.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 1:15 PM on September 13, 2002

I just got back from Matt's place. Damn, is he a mess!! He hasn't shaved in days, hasn't showered in longer, there's boxes of ancient Chinese takeout everywhere, and the empty bottles of Jack Daniel are too numerous to count. There are actual pancakes nailed to the walls and a multitude of pictures of ponies on every surface. He has this wicked gleam in his eye and he keeps mumbling, "I'll show 'em, I'll show 'em, I'll show 'em, yeah, this time they'll see, they'll all see, heh heh." He didn't even know I was there, he was so out of it.

You know what I think? I think that he was joking about joking, just to throw us off the scent. He's gonna do it--he's gonna pull the plug...
posted by ashbury at 1:20 PM on September 13, 2002

Would you ever sell Matt? If the price were right?

You can't put a price on human life! Besides, I don't technically own him. What a silly question.
posted by Hildago at 1:28 PM on September 13, 2002

You want to know what my dotcom days plans were? So imagine it's 1999 again, and money is flowing in every which direction. People are either sleeping under their desks getting ready for IPOs or they're sleeping on giant piles of cash.

So say some sort of SuperMegaCorp.com of 1999 called me up and offered a large sum of money (again, the times were crazy). If it was anything over $100k, I was planning on giving 25% back to users, based on their participation (if you posted 2k comments out of 100k total, you'd get 2% of the money).

Nowdays, I'd probably unload it for a few dozen grand (seriously) seeing how it makes me about $1k a month. I'd only be doing it to get it out of my hair, not because I hate anyone or want to sell their souls to AOL or something. Though it'd be nice if someone offered enough money to use as a downpayment on a silicon valley home, talk of selling it is pointless, as no one has ever offered me one penny, nor do I seriously think a real offer will ever materialize. If it didn't happen in the bubble, it ain't gonna happen.

(heck, you could buy all of salon for a couple million, and recently Dr. Koop.com sold it's remaining assets for like $200k, and they received hundreds in millions of funding at one point)
posted by mathowie (staff) at 1:44 PM on September 13, 2002

Metafilter: More staying power than Dr. Koop.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 1:49 PM on September 13, 2002

I'm getting a language lesson today. What does "pour a 40 on the curb" mean?
posted by timeistight at 1:59 PM on September 13, 2002

timeistight--it's an inner-city mourning ritual where you pour a 40 ounce bottle of malt liquor on the curb in honor of your fallen brothers. Figured a man named after a Booker T and The MG's song would be hepper than that, dude.

posted by jonmc at 2:04 PM on September 13, 2002

Turn on Matlock and fetch the Ben Gay. My hep days are rapidly receding in the rear-view mirror.
posted by timeistight at 2:08 PM on September 13, 2002

timeistight, the kids today listen to the rap music with the hipping and the hopping, and once in a while they talk about gang banger type stuff, you know the stuff from movies like Colors and Boyz in the Hood, with the Ice Cube and the Ice T in them.

When speaking of their fallen fellow friends, they talk of tributes, of pouring alcohol, in this case, forty ounce bottles of malted beverages -- availabe at your local liquor counter, on the ground, before taking part in the libations themselves. Pouring aformentioned beverages into the gutter, or near a curb (a raised protrusion on the sides of streets built for automobiles, to catch and deliver refuse, rainwater, and washings), to keep things tidy.

Hence, pouring a 40 on the curb is to open ones beer and pour some on the ground whilst thinking of departed commrades in tribute. To say that one would do something in relation to something at Meta Filter is at once humourous and perhaps absurdist, as the young ironic set is wont to do, to concoct urbanized punchlines to joking behaviors.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 2:09 PM on September 13, 2002

is at once humourous and perhaps absurdist

thank you.
posted by jonmc at 2:20 PM on September 13, 2002

Thank you both. I shall pour some sherry on the rug in your names.
posted by timeistight at 2:20 PM on September 13, 2002

Matt, re: your dotcom pipe dream: a sillycom valley house? Sheesh! What about beeyootiful Marin?
posted by Lynsey at 2:43 PM on September 13, 2002

You can't put a price on human life! Besides, I don't technically own him. What a silly question.


Haha. Good one, Hildalgo!

Zap.
posted by The God Complex at 2:46 PM on September 13, 2002

if you posted 2k comments out of 100k total, you'd get 2% of the money

And the only problem with that plan is that you apparently let it get out to a few people who took it to heart...

Damn but that explains a lot.
posted by Sapphireblue at 2:48 PM on September 13, 2002

a sillycom valley house? Sheesh!

'tis only because that's where I'm currently sitting, and I don't feel like living in the city again (and Marin sucks for too many reasons). If it were up to me, I'd live in the Pacific Northwest somewhere between Portland and Vancouver.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 2:51 PM on September 13, 2002

Vancouver, Washington or Vancouver, BC?
posted by timeistight at 2:58 PM on September 13, 2002

Vancouver, Washington? You want to live in the middle of a river?
posted by Wulfgar! at 2:59 PM on September 13, 2002

8 left as of 5:37 CT. Counting down.....
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 3:38 PM on September 13, 2002

~pours whiskey on the carpet~
Wait! wasn't I supposed to do that when we hit 20K?
~kneels down to lick the carpet~
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 3:42 PM on September 13, 2002

Jeez, from the sounds of it, Matt, you seem to think you are not the master of your own vessel. If it were up to me... EVERYTHING is up to you, man!

WE ARE THE MUSIC-MAKERS, AND WE ARE THE DREAMERS OF DREAMS!

Oh, wait a minute.

That's right... You're married, too.

Never mind.
posted by crunchland at 4:13 PM on September 13, 2002

"WE ARE THE MUSIC-MAKERS, AND WE ARE THE DREAMERS OF DREAMS!"

crunchland- what's the famous track that uses this as a sample? 808 State? I forget....
posted by gen at 4:29 PM on September 13, 2002

Is that an esoteric way of saying you want to live in Seattle Matt?

Which would be cool. Being that I don't have a bank account, I could just drop my donation by along with the fruit basket (as I swear to God, I'm going to do real soon--the donation part).
posted by crasspastor at 4:41 PM on September 13, 2002

what's the famous track that uses this as a sample

Aphex Twin, it's one of the tracks on the first Selected Ambient Works.

(it's from Willy Wonka, but you probably knew that)
posted by inpHilltr8r at 5:04 PM on September 13, 2002

for all the delted threads

As long as it can be sung by Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson to the tune of "To All The Girls I Loved", I'm all for it.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 5:41 PM on September 13, 2002

congrats to Matt! hip hip hooray! and thanks for running this! may you preside over 20,000 more!

I'd buy you a drink, but that'll have to wait for 21 (thousand)
posted by amberglow at 6:07 PM on September 13, 2002

If 20,000 happens and nobody notices, did it really happen?

_{I guess we'll find out in four links.}
posted by Joey Michaels at 6:14 PM on September 13, 2002

Hmmm... the next two posts (19,997 and 19,998) don't count for much; but the two after that (19,999 and 20,000) are comedy gold historically funny!.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 6:22 PM on September 13, 2002

I shall pour some sherry on the rug in your names.

there's nothing hepper than that, yo.
posted by rhyax at 6:25 PM on September 13, 2002

wait a sec, Miguel, how do you know? (picturing Miss Cleo in Portugal)
posted by amberglow at 6:27 PM on September 13, 2002

**pours Boylan's Black Cherry Soda onto linoleum**

posted by jonmc at 6:37 PM on September 13, 2002

Well, amberglow, I have pre-submission viewing privileges now. I can look at the next forty front page posts - although I can't comment on them or anything. Matt's beta-ing his blogroots algorithm and he asked a few well-chosen members to give it a try. Although I'm not allowed to give previews, I hope I'm not abusing my privileges by saying that 20,007 and (specially!) 20,015 are definitely worth looking out for. ;)
posted by MiguelCardoso at 6:38 PM on September 13, 2002

so there IS an elite MeFi corps...did you get black helicopters? and ponies? and all-you-can-eat pancakes? : >

and isn't it the first rule of Fight Club never to discuss Fight Club? so to speak?

and v'shana tovah!
posted by amberglow at 6:44 PM on September 13, 2002

Could you fix my spelling in 20020, I misspelled broomstick.
Thanks
posted by mss at 6:53 PM on September 13, 2002

Mss - I'm afraid your post has been sent to Redefinition and should be withheld until July 2003. It seems that the vibrating feature you emphasize has been noted before (namely in the comments section of whyismysistersohappy.com) and the double-post police will have to go through it with a fine broom comb. You are still welcome to comment in clavdivs's forthcoming Harry Potter-muckraking post on MeTa, though (November or December at the latest). Hope that'll take the sting out of the rejection!
posted by MiguelCardoso at 7:00 PM on September 13, 2002

What if someone beats Matt to old number 20k with some self link, or idiotic FPP? Will it be left on just because it's number 20k, or deleted like the rest of the junk?

Not that I would do anything like watch for 19,999 to show up then put up junk...no, not me. Never!
posted by JaxJaggywires at 7:02 PM on September 13, 2002

OK, fine, that's great. I just checked and that will make it post 30000. Works for me.
posted by mss at 7:18 PM on September 13, 2002

Well it's 19,998 already...and counting.

Matt: dust off the catscanned party hat!
posted by MiguelCardoso at 8:33 PM on September 13, 2002

#15000 - weapons of teeny boo-boos? February 22, 2002, 3 replies.

#10000 - Under eminent domain September 10, 2001, 19 replies.

#5000 - Happy 5000th post, MetaFilter. January 1, 2001, 6 replies.
posted by crunchland at 8:40 PM on September 13, 2002

Crunchland - I dare you to be 19,999!
posted by MiguelCardoso at 8:43 PM on September 13, 2002

~kneels down to lick the carpet~

*snicker*
posted by debralee at 8:50 PM on September 13, 2002

Post 2000!

That's it, folks. I'm off to bed.

~sprinkles some champagne about~
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 9:21 PM on September 13, 2002

20,000 even!

*breaks open the jeroboams*
posted by MiguelCardoso at 9:34 PM on September 13, 2002

I can't believe I stayed up all night for this.

Oh hell, yes I can. What else am I going to do?
posted by rex at 9:42 PM on September 13, 2002

[Why not help crunchburger to further derail thread 20,000 in the interests of gin-soaked bar-room queens in Memphis? As long, rex dear fellow, as you deny you ever heard this here, of course...]
posted by MiguelCardoso at 9:48 PM on September 13, 2002

Goodmorning everyone, I see I woke up just in time for number 20.000
posted by ginz at 9:50 PM on September 13, 2002

I think you mean rerailed. My comment was at least about pot.
posted by crunchburger at 9:59 PM on September 13, 2002

Mss is my funny hero for tonight.
posted by mccreath at 10:06 PM on September 13, 2002

Hmm...looks like my question could be answered. Think ol' # 20k will get removed? Doesn't seem to be illiciting a very good line of discussion.
posted by JaxJaggywires at 10:20 PM on September 13, 2002

Aw... Who had to go and wreck #20k????
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 10:41 PM on September 13, 2002

Allow me to be the first to note in passing that MeFi's 20,000th post kicks ass. Carl Sagan puffing a blunt and contemplating "the hypocrisies and posturing of myself and my fellow men"? What more could you possibly want?
posted by mediareport at 11:21 PM on September 13, 2002

If it was up to me, 19,999 would be the last thread ever.

[this might be offensive]

Beantown - represent! Fo shizza bling bling.
posted by owillis at 12:19 AM on September 14, 2002

pushd

Just returning to an earlier sub-conversation: how do we know if mathowie is even "mathowie" anymore? As far as I'm concerned, "mathowie" is a brand, a fictional character used to front a faceless corporate behemoth, no different than Uncle Ben or Aunt Jemima or Fruit of the Loom. Hell, maybe the original mathowie sold MeFi years ago, and no one noticed!! Didja ever even think of that, you sheep, you mindless mindless sheep! After all, whoever acquired the full rights to MeFiCo, Inc. would be able to comment and post as the original mathowie. We might already be on the sixth or seventh iteration of MetaFilter's own 'Dread Pirate Roberts', and no one would be the wiser.

Kinda makes you think, doesn't it? Kinda makes you think...

popd
posted by hincandenza at 12:28 AM on September 14, 2002

Yes, well, I have to say that if I'm still around, for message 25000 or message 30000 or message 50000, and I make another message linking to all the numerically significant threads then, I'm pretty sure message 20000 will shine as containing the most stupid and infantile comments of the lot of them.

A very fitting snapshot of how Metafilter is today.

(What am I talking about, "if I'm still around?" Message 50000 will be, what, sometime next month?)
posted by crunchland at 5:06 AM on September 14, 2002

If you disregard Evanizer's theatrics, thread 20,000 is a decent follow-up discussion to a great link.
posted by rcade at 6:27 AM on September 14, 2002

New Tagline:

If it was up to me, (insert latest thread number here) would be the last thread ever.


posted by matteo at 2:35 PM on September 15, 2002